December 2021 – The INSIDER

Christmas in Germany

December 27, 2021December 27, 2021 newspaper 0 comment

Holidays. Consumerism. Your Fall 2021 Semester exams and end-of-the-term projects. These must be on your mind as Christmas is drawing near, mustn’t they? Coming from a background as a Health Science graduate at Vanier, having lived in Hong Kong where shops are all over the town and with the habit of spending ample time with family, friends and loved ones over the Holidays, “Holidays” and “consumerism” obviously pop up on my mind as Christmas is happening in less than a month. Now settled in Germany, how has my Fall 2021…

Arts

Warming Holidays

December 23, 2021 newspaper 0 comment

As tiny snowflakes swiftly fall from the sky, All graceful like a shiny star rainfall, While dancing in the cold, they beautify The whole world with a thick white coat for all. As the glacial north wind is whistling outside Like mumbles calling out the unknown storm, Its whisper in our ears is magnified, Reminding us to safely go back home. As joyful parties are still going on, And children’s laughers encore resonate, Together people gather until dawn, And stay away from the arctic climate It’s only…

Arts

Stitched

December 22, 2021 newspaper 0 comment

TW: Unwanted sexual relationship After meeting you that day, you left me in an anxious, blindsided state, for you have decided not to contact me for three long days. During those three days, I constantly checked my phone and anxiously waited for your messages. However, as much as I was stressed, I was able to think thoroughly. If you were the type of person, I would be ready to risk anything to be together. But I guess you being inconsistent and constantly having a jerk behaviour with polished words allowed…

Entertainment

Whiskey Jack Radio: Top 10 Country Songs of 2021

December 20, 2021 newspaper 0 comment

As we approach the end of 2021 and kiss another unusual and unforgettable year goodbye, here at the Insider, we thought it would be a great idea to have our favourite cowboy-hat wearing country music junkie and Nashville correspondent rank down what he thinks are some of the year’s best country singles and number one’s songs out there. “Heart on Fire” – Eric Church Starting off this list, we have Eric Church’s “Heart on Fire” from the triple album Heart & Soul. With the release of…

Features

The Call of the Sea

December 19, 2021 newspaper 0 comment

2021 has been called by some “the year of sea shanties”. Somehow, during our pandemic isolation, shanties became a popular trend on Tik Tok, bringing back old stories of pirates, travellers, and the open sea. While sailor songs are at least as old as the 14th century, sea shanties as we know them did not originate on ships; they draw their roots from African American and Caribbean work songs. These were sung when boat-rowing, working on plantations or unloading docks. These songs often followed a call-and-answer format, with one person…

Voices

Ballad of Lonesome Jack – From FNG to EIC

December 16, 2021December 16, 2021 newspaper 0 comment

It goes without saying that this semester has been an emotional rollercoaster ride for me. Well, pretty much my entire cégep has been an emotional rollercoaster ride. When I rolled into Vanier back in the fall of ’19, I ditched my birth name and decided to start a new life as Jack. I left everything that reminded me of my difficult years in high school in the rear-view mirror. When I attended my classes, I knew I was missing something from my life. I ain’t called Lonesome Jack for nothing….

Voices

Disappointed, but not surprised – the Kyle Rittenhouse Trial

December 15, 2021December 10, 2021 newspaper 0 comment

On August 25th, 2020, Kyle Rittenhouse killed two people and injured one following a protest over the murder of Jacob Blake at the hands of police officers. You may remember this story circulating last summer, specifically the photo of him carrying an AR-15 and not being stopped by police. In November, Rittenhouse stood trial for six criminal charges, including intentional homicide, attempted intentional homicide and possession of a dangerous weapon by a minor. Rittenhouse was acquitted of all charges with the defence that he was acting in self-defence. While the…

News

Marie-Victorin By-Election: Most Decisive By-Election Ahead of 2022

December 14, 2021December 10, 2021 newspaper 0 comment

Following the Quebec municipal election, Independent MNA Catherine Fournier resigned to become mayor of Longueuil, triggering a by-election in her electoral district of Marie-Victorin. The race to replace Fournier may shape the outcome for the 2022 provincial elections and the political landscape of Quebec for the next decade. Ever since its creation, the electoral district of Marie-Victorin served as a Parti Québécois stronghold. Since 1985, each MNA from this South Shore riding has been elected under the PQ banner. In 2016, then-24-year-old Catherine Fournier continued the trend when elected to…

Campus

A new start-up on campus

December 12, 2021December 10, 2021 newspaper 0 comment

Social Science students were able to attend a “coffee break” activity on September 29th and November 17th. This initiative serves as an “informal” discussion space amongst students and economics teachers where Applied Economics can be discussed outside of a classroom setting. Their first meeting was about Personal Finance and Wealth Management in the Age of Millennials, while their second meeting explored the Bridges and frontiers between Economics and Psychology. During the first meeting, students were able to share their thoughts on portfolio diversification, real estate, and cryptocurrency while engaging in…

Campus

The Shoe Box Project – It’s a Wrap!

December 11, 2021December 10, 2021 newspaper 0 comment

Through donations from Vanier students, staff, friends and family, the Vanier Shoe Box Project created 42 gift-filled shoe boxes. These holiday gifts will be donated to local women’s shelters for those impacted by homelessness. This project served a purpose to share kindness and love with the less fortunate during the Holiday Season. I’d like to thank my team of volunteers who assisted me throughout this month-long project: Alexia Wojcik Da Silva, Gabriella Gratton, Vanessa Papamanolioudakis, Dhimahi Jigneshkumar Patel, Victoria Lattas-Patrinos and Alexandra Tsigaras. I’d also like to thank the Vanier…